A ballot on the future of Shirecliffe's Parkwood High School will be held in the autumn, the first time parents have been given a direct vote on such an issue.

Cabinet member for children's services Coun Andy Sangar said he believed the introduction of the ballot was a national first.

He told The Star: "I can confirm that if local parents show that they don't want their local school to be turned into an academy during the consultation process and through the ballot, then we would not support an academy going ahead."

But Coun Sangar had earlier expressed doubts on the process in an interview with the Financial Times, acknowledging that plans for the Parkwood academy were so far advanced even a "no" vote was unlikely to make a difference.

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He also accepted a ballot would not be legally binding because of national legislation on the academies programme.

Mr Sangar told the FT that "in a more typical case", where a ballot was held and ended in a 'no' before academy or trust plans were so well-advanced, "we would talk to the school and governing body, and say, 'we don't think at this time you should have one'."

Consultations on the academy plans have already been held with parents, but critics claim they were poorly attended and people attending had little time to raise objections.

Sheffield Brightside MP David Blunkett, who has previously attacked the campaign against an academy in his constituency as being inspired by the far left, said he would not oppose a parental ballot.

He said: "None of us have a problem consulting parents about the future of their school, the £15 million available from government to bring about a much-needed and long-awaited investment in the reconstruction and modernisation of the building, or the funding needed to give the youngsters in the area the kind of opportunity that Lib Dem councillors representing the south-west of the city take for granted.

"But the Lib Dems must be clear about what information will be given to parents, who will fund it, and who will vet it for party political bias.

"Consultation should be meaningful and not a cop-out which allows the Lib Dems to be on all sides at the same time, and on no-one's side when it comes to investing millions of pounds in the future of children in an area of the city where the Lib Dem council is already threatening major cuts in voluntary and community organisation."

Coun Sangar said Mr Blunkett's views showed an alarming amount of prejudice.

He said: "Unlike the Labour Party, we are committed to putting parents in the driving seat and giving local people a real say on education in their area."


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